CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

 

 

 

“Outstanding. I should’ve known you two would already be on top of this.”

Apple sat on the edge of her seat, listening to Benjen talk to Zane Saucier. She could only hear one side of the conversation, but when he told the lawyer about Juanita and asked for guidance, Benjen’s reaction to Zane’s response was more than positive.

“Okay, thanks man. You talk to Presley and tell her to let us know where to meet her.”

With her eyes following every nuance of expression that passed over Benjen’s face, she held her breath as he ended the call.

“Hey, Zane, I’d tell you you’re invaluable, but I don’t want the bill to be any higher than it already will be.”

The mention of the bill reminded Apple that all of this would cost money. Undoubtedly, the efforts to persuade the VA to give her Alan’s benefits had been an expensive outlay. Even though Benjen assured her he’d take care of it, a fresh wave of guilt made her feel sick.

She didn’t realize her feelings were so obvious until Benjen put a finger under her chin. “Hey, why the frown? I have good news.”

“You’re going to have to pay for this and I don’t have any way of paying you back.”

His smile became as bright as his eyes. “I take kisses. The sweetest form of currency.”

“Oh.” She pushed him a little, showing her frustration. “You. What am I going to do with you?”

“Love me.”

Apple pulled him down to her. “That’s not enough.”

“You know better.” Benjen captured her hands. “Quit worrying and let me tell you what I learned.”

“Okay, I’ll listen.” She gave him her full attention. “What did Zane say?”

“Well, as soon as word got out what was happening on the border, a lot of concerned lawyers went down to the Texas border to offer their services. Presley was one of the first ones down there. Zane is going to call her and tell her to start the ball rolling to locate Juanita. We’ll leave as soon as we pack a bag and find out where to meet her on the way.”

Apple jumped up. “I have to call Dr. Cleveland.” She started rushing around. “How many days do you think we’ll be gone? What will we do with the dogs?”

Benjen grabbed her to slow her down. “Easy, baby. We’ll get it all done. I don’t know how long we’ll be gone. A couple of days, maybe? This is unknown territory for lots of people. As for the dogs, Sara will come and take care of them, I’m sure. While you pack and call your boss, I’ll let the family know and make sure my sister-in-law agrees to come by here a couple of times a day.”

“How about you? Isn’t this a huge inconvenience for you?”

Benjen looked at her worried face. “Not at all. I want to do this. Sam will cover for me.”

“I know you all are already short-handed. Maybe…”

Benjen took her by the shoulders, headed her toward her bedroom, and swatted Apple on her bottom. “Go. You don’t need to get all frothed up. Let me show off my manly organizational skills.”

“Frothed up…” she grumbled good-naturedly. “I don’t even know what frothed up even means.”

…An hour later, they were on the road and heading to McAllen, a town on the southern tip of Texas, just over the Mexican border between Mission and Brownsville.

“Presley said to meet her at this address.” He handed her a piece of paper. “Plug it into the GPS. I think it’s a warehouse of some kind.”

“Okay. A warehouse? That sounds weird.” Apple did as he asked, then settled back to look out the window. “This is going to be a long trip. I should have made snacks.”

“A little over five hours, but we’ll stop when we need to. Don’t hesitate to ask. When you spot a restaurant or a gas station where you want to take a little break, just say so. What did your boss say?”

Apple sighed. “She understood, especially since she was the one who talked to Juanita’s grandmother. Dr. Cleveland has a very tender heart. How about Sara, is she okay with checking on the dogs?”

“Of course.” Benjen adjusted his rearview mirror. “She said she’d be glad to.”

“Your family is being so good to me. Sam stopped by the vet’s office last week to see if he could bring me a sandwich from the diner.”

“He did?” Benjen chuckled. “The boy loves to eat.” He rubbed her knee, squeezing it lightly. “They’re your family too, baby.”

She leaned back on the headrest just to look at him. He wore a blue and red plaid shirt. The blue just matched his eyes. “You look so nice.”

“I do.” He grinned and winked at her. “Thanks. You know I think you’re the hottest thing since sliced bread.”

Apple frowned. “Oh, that’s a compliment.”

“It is!” he insisted. “Sliced bread was a big deal. Although…” Benjen pretended to think. “I could say the best thing since fellatio.”

Apple gasped out a laugh. “Oh, please.”

“That’s what I say – please…?”

“Stop!” She held her middle as she giggled. “You are incorrigible.”

“I try.” He squeezed her knee again. “You know, I’m so proud of you.”

“Really? Why?” Apple had no clue what he meant.

“Here we are, headed to South Texas, to come to the rescue of your husband’s child by another woman.” When she bowed her head, he put his fingers under her chin and lifted it up. “Don’t you dare hang your head. Don’t you know how special you are? You have an amazing heart.”

“Well…” She didn’t really know what to say. “I have such a heart for helpless animals, as you do. How can I not have that same compassion for a child? No matter who the father is. And look at you, you dropped everything to go with me.”

“True,” Benjen agreed. “But there’s one major difference, you’re doing this for the child and I’m doing it for you.”

“Oh, you’d do it for a child too. I know you.” She was adamant in her defense of him.

“Yes, I would – but I’d do anything for you.” He winked at her, then turned back to look at the road.

“I know,” she said confidently, then jumped when he gave a war whoop of excitement. “What was that for?”

“Because you admitted you know how much I care for you.”

She covered his hand with hers. “I can’t imagine my life without you,” she whispered almost reverently. “I’m really going to need you to guide me through this. I know nothing about immigration law. I don’t know how we’ll get permission for her to stay to receive treatment. Or how to get her home once she’s well enough to be reunited with her family.”

“Don’t worry. I might not have those answers but Presley and Zane will.”

For the next few miles, they rode in silence, each preoccupied with the idea of how big of a task they were undertaking. Apple was far from bored, but after a bit, she yawned. The passage of the scenery outside her window was hypnotizing.

“Why don’t you close your eyes and rest awhile,” Benjen told her. “You didn’t sleep much last night. Too much excitement, I guess.”

Excitement. Worry. “Thanks. I’m having trouble keeping my eyes open.”

“Rest. When you wake up we’ll get something to eat.”

Sometime later, Apple woke up with a gasp, glancing around and trying to remember where she was and what was going on. She felt sick. “Pull over, Benjen. Pull over.”

“Okay.” Immediately, Benjen slowed his truck down and pulled over in a driveway. “What’s wrong?”

“Sick,” was the only word she got out of her mouth before she flung open the door and threw up on the side of the road. It wasn’t much, she didn’t have much in her stomach.

“Baby. God, baby,” Benjen said as he ran around the back of the truck with a bottled water in one hand and his handkerchief in the other. “Let’s get to the hospital.”

She took what he offered gratefully. “I don’t want to go to the hospital. I’m probably just…hungry. I didn’t eat much.” Apple struggled for an explanation. “Maybe I got a little car sick. Motion sickness, you know.”

“Maybe. Maybe, you’re coming down with something.”

Apple had no clue. She’d had trouble before – after Jenny. Memories of the morning sickness she’d experienced in her pregnancy came flooding back also. Taking a sip of the water, she leaned on the seat, standing inside the shelter of the open passenger door. “Just let me rest a second before we start off again. Make sure there isn’t going to be an encore performance.”

Benjen squatted in front of her, looking up into her face with deep concern. “I’m worried. Are you sure you don’t want to go to the doctor?”

“No. This is nothing.” Probably. She held her hand out to help him up. “I bet you’re paler than I am.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it.” He stood up and shadowed her, like a sheltering, immovable mountain. “Feeling any better?” Using one finger, he moved a lock of hair from her forehead.

“Yea. I think so.” She started to climb back up in the truck, but he insisted on helping, fastening her seat belt before he was through. “Thanks.”

He didn’t rush. He took the time to look at her closely, caressing her face. “We’ll get some food. If you don’t feel better then, we’ll go from there.”

True to his word, Benjen found a restaurant. Apple was surprised he didn’t carry her in. He helped her walk, hovering over her like she was made of spun glass. “I’m okay.”

“You won’t be okay until I feed you.” He held the door for her, summoning a waitress, and asking for a table pronto.

“I’m sure they try to give all their customers a table pronto.” Apple couldn’t help but giggle.

He smiled sheepishly. “I’m just glad you feel like laughing.”

Once they were seated, Benjen made sure she ordered a full meal. “You need to eat more protein. Do you take vitamins?”

“No. No vitamins.” She pressed her lips together, hiding a smile. If a miracle occurred and she ever did get pregnant – this man would worry himself to death over her. For some reason, she liked the idea very much. Once they were past this crisis, she’d go to the doctor and see what was up with her health. Since pregnancy was a farfetched possibility, she had to consider that there might be something else wrong. Shaking her head, she dispelled those thoughts. Now, wasn’t the time. She had more pressing matters to consider. Namely, Juanita.

“What’s wrong?” Benjen had seen her shake her head. “Headache?”

“No.” She smiled at him. “I’m good. Just thinking. How much farther do we have to go?”

“Not far. You took a good nap.” He glanced at his watch. “We’ve got about another eighty-five miles or so. I plan on calling Presley when we leave here and firming up where we’ll meet and when.”

“I’m nervous,” Apple admitted. “This little girl’s life may hang in the balance and she and her grandmother are depending on me to make everything right.”

“How old is Juanita?”

“Three, I think. I’m not sure, exactly.”

Benjen was torn between sympathy for the child and disdain for the man who fathered her. While they waited he checked his messages, smiling as he sent his brother a text. “Big Easy is doing good. He’s met a woman. A palm reader. He asked her out, but she took one look at his palm and sent him packing.”  

“Oh, my goodness. Do you believe in such things?” she asked the question before she thought, then she noticed the look on his face. “Well, of course, you do. I’m sorry. Your beliefs are deep-seated and heart-felt. I did not mean to offend. I just grew up in a family that was deeply religious but completely pragmatic.”

“It’s okay, love.” He took her hand across the table. “My beliefs are rooted more in legacy than anything else. I feel connected to my father and to my past when I do the rituals. I don’t know if the effect they have is real and a result of the mystical, or if everything would’ve turned out the same if I’d never did them at all. Would I have been able to peacefully say goodbye to Kelli without honoring her in the Apache way? Probably. Would the cattle have received the same benign diagnosis without my prayers? Maybe.”

“Yes, but I saw the light with you. I know it’s real.”

Benjen shrugged. “There are numerous accounts of weird lights across the world. Just in Texas, there are two that are very well known. The Saratoga light down near Beaumont and the Marfa lights near Big Bend National Park. No one knows what they are. Most agree there’s probably a natural explanation, but who knows? My light could be a ball of some type of gas or the lost soul of some ancient Spanish monk – or maybe it’s one of my ancestors attempting to guide me in some way. I really have no way of knowing.”

“I know I’m contradicting myself, but I tend to think the latter is true. I’ve said this before, but I think the light is personal for you.” She shook her head. “I didn’t mean to compare that with the palm reader.” Apple smiled wryly. “You just hear so many cliched comments about palm readers and tarot card readers and such.”

“Yea, I don’t know the answer either.” Benjen stopped talking as their food was delivered, taking the time to make sure Apple had everything she needed. “Now eat up.” He pointed to her salmon. “Looks good.”

“Smells good too.” She cut off a forkful to take a bite, loving the buttery garlic sauce on top of the fish. “It is good. Now, what were you saying?”

Benjen cut off a piece of steak, but answered before putting it in his mouth, “I was just going to say that I can’t wait for Easy to meet the special girl who’ll knock him for a loop. If it’s a palm reader or a super model – so be it. I just want him to be as happy as I am now.”

Apple blushed at his comment. “I’m happy too, cowboy.”

They made small talk while they finished their meal. After Benjen paid the check, he penned Apple with a stare. “Feel better?”

She could answer honestly, “Yes, I do. You were right. I was just hungry.”

…About two hours later, they pulled up in front of an old warehouse in McAllen, Texas located on Ursula Street. A pretty lady waved at them. “That must be Presley,” Apple muttered.

“It is. You’ll like her. She’s an amazing lawyer, but she’s also a down-to-earth person with a great sense of humor. This type of legal action is right down her alley. Presley spends much of her time doing pro bono work, especially issues pertaining to women and children.”

“She defends the underdog, which means she has a tender heart.” Apple unfastened her seatbelt and picked up her purse. “Like us.” By the time she pulled on the door handle, Benjen was there to help her stand. “I’m fine, Benjen.”

He frowned at her. “Let me take care of you. It makes me happy.”

How could she argue with that? Apple walked with Benjen as they greeted Presley Saucier.

“Hello, I’m glad you arrived safely.” She fanned herself. “It’s hot in South Texas, isn’t it?” Presley held out her hand to Apple, nodding at them both. “You must be Apple. Benjen, how are you?”

“Still reeling from this news,” Benjen answered. “Did Zane tell you how all this came about?”

“Yes, he did.” Presley directed her answer to Apple. “I’m so sorry you had to go through all of this. I was aware of your quest to continue receiving your VA benefits in the face of your husband’s desertion. Did you know of the existence of the child at that time?”

“I did,” Apple admitted. “A photograph of Alan’s little family was stuck between the pages of his journal. His commanding officer brought his personal effects to me after they declared my husband to be missing-in-action. At the time, I could barely look at the picture, much less have any thoughts about the child individually.”

“Of course. Well, during the course of the day, I’ll get all the facts in order.”

“Presley, could we get Apple out of this heat? She had a little sick spell earlier.” With a hand to the small of her back, Benjen was attempting to guide Apple closer to the door.

“Absolutely. Let’s go to the cubby hole they’ve allocated to me as an office. I’m here donating my time to represent these people in immigration court. I’m also doing my part in trying to reunite families.” As they walked to the entrance, side-stepping various ICE personnel, and other suits that appeared to be lawyers or other officials, Presley continued to talk. “What I’ve done so far to begin the process of locating Juanita is to put in a request for the original paperwork. Did you bring the photograph?”

“I did.” Apple was grateful that she’d thought to do so. “Do you think Juanita is still here?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Presley admitted.

This confused Benjen. “I don’t mean to be critical, but how can you not know?” As Presley opened one of the heavy entrance doors, Benjen caught it and held it open for the women to enter ahead of him.

“I’ll show you. The best word to describe this whole thing is chaotic.”

Once inside the large warehouse their eyes were opened to the situation. To Apple’s dismay, she saw hundreds of children waiting in a series of holding pens created by metal fencing. One area held about twenty children. Scattered around them on the floor were empty chip bags, empty plastic water bottles, and square foil sheets they were given to serve as blankets. She saw an older teenage girl on the floor changing the diaper of a tiny toddler. Apple searched each child’s face, looking for Juanita. Her heart went out to the kids. Some looked scared, some were crying, and some just stared blankly at them as they walked past.

“Wow, I didn’t expect this,” Benjen spoke lowly, he too scanning the face of every child they passed. “How big is this place.”

“Fifty-five thousand square feet. There’s close to fifteen hundred people at this moment in time. The facility is divided into separate wings for unaccompanied children, adults on their own, and parents with children who haven’t been processed yet. The pens in each area open out into common areas containing porta-potties. The lighting overhead is never turned off, so it’s hard to sleep. I know, I’ve been here a week myself.”

Presley led them through the maze of cage-like, segmented areas made of chain-link fence from the floor to the ceiling with netting at the top. “Most of these children have only been here between twelve and thirty-six hours.”

“What happens to them after that?” Apple asked as she took in the surreal scene around her.

“Many of the adults who crossed the border without proper paperwork will be charged with illegal entry and placed in jail. Others, like Juanita’s grandmother, will be immediately deported, depending on their country of origin.

Benjen felt odd. Even though he could see a couple of televisions playing and some of the children eating snacks – the whole place had the feel of some animal shelters he’d been in where every eye followed you as you walked by, hoping you’d be the answer to their prayer. Every step he took, Benjen felt the enormity of their task growing in his mind. “What do you think our chances of finding the child really are?”

Apple looked startled by Benjen’s question. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t we be able to find her? We know her name. Juanita Cates. We know what she looks like. Why wouldn’t we be able to find her?” she repeated her question before Presley could attempt to answer.

Finally reaching the back of the facility, Presley motioned for them to follow her to a curtained off area. “Come in. Sit down. You have to understand that since this started, over two thousand children have been taken from their family members. From teens to breastfeeding babies. The children are being transported from these facilities to points all across the country. I’m finding that the records of who they are, where they came from, who their parents are – much of this information is being lost or was never properly recorded in the first place. This lack of documentation is making this whole process doubly frustrating.”

Apple felt hopeless. “How is this possible?”

Presley sat at her desk and folded her hands in front of her. “Look, I’m not saying these people are being hurt intentionally, they are given adequate food, access to showers, clean clothes, and medical care. Ursula is a temporary holding facility only. But no one can deny that this is traumatic for all involved. You can imagine, as a child, being separated from your parents and not knowing when or if you’ll see them again. Also, the situation is complicated by the fact that many of the new hires to help run these operations aren’t qualified. They have no experience or history of accumulating or recording data. All of this is happening so fast and furious that there is no proper procedure being followed. Another complication is the language barrier, these folks don’t come from just one country, some speak indigenous languages that we don’t have readily available interpreters who can communicate with them.”

Presley’s comment about the language interpreters reminded Apple of Alan. “That’s what my husband did for the military. He was an interpreter.”

Presley sympathetically patted Apple’s hand. “I know this whole thing has been rough on you. I’m so sorry.”

Benjen didn’t like Apple referring to Alan as her husband. In some ways, he wished he could wipe the man from Apple’s memory. Leaning forward, he asked, “Okay, what can we do? I know Zane told you that Juanita is sick. Surely, that will matter. Can’t we alert the authorities to stop everything and search for her?”

Presley sat back and sighed. “The authorities, and that term can refer to numerous federal and state institutions, are strapped for time and resources. It’s my suggestion…” She made a circular motion between the three of them. “That we document every detail we can think of that will help us, every fact, then call in professionals to help find Juanita.”

“Professionals?” Apple asked in confusion. “What do you mean? A private investigator?”

Presley and Benjen looked at one another and Benjen answered, “She means the Equalizers, don’t you?”

Presley nodded. “I do. I think they’re your best bet. Her health makes this a special case and I think Kyle and his team will want to help.”

“Wait.” Apple held up her hand. “You’re talking about Kyle Chancellor, the governor.”

“Yes. He won’t be personally involved, but Micah Wolfe, Saxon Abbott, and Tyson Pate are experts at this sort of thing. Finding missing persons is one of the things they do best. Kyle, as governor, has visited these facilities, and others like it on the Texas border, several times in the last few weeks. I don’t know if you remember it, but this is a very personal situation for him. Unbeknownst to Kyle, when he fell in love with his sweet wife, Hannah, she was an illegal alien. At one point, she and their child, were in Mexico and could have easily been caught up in exactly this situation we have here.”

“I seem to remember something about that,” Apple muttered, her head full of everything she’d learned. “We’d be very grateful for any aid the Equalizers could give us.” She reached for Benjen’s hand. “Okay. We’re ready to help in any way we can. We want to find Juanita and get her help. Just tell us what you need to know.”

Benjen was heartened by her use of the word ‘we’. “That’s right. Whatever it takes, we want to help this little girl.”

…Two hours later, Presley escorted Benjen and Apple from the Ursula Facility. On their way out, Apple couldn’t help but notice what she saw around her. In one area a couple of small boys were playing and a uniformed adult shouted at them to calm down. “They don’t have anything to do in there,” she worried. “No toys. No books. Nothing.” As they drew nearer the enclosure, she could see one small boy sitting in the corner, not horsing around with the others, in his hand he clutched a scrap of paper with a photocopy of someone’s ID card. “Probably his mother,” she muttered to herself.

Benjen could tell she was upset. “I know this is disturbing to you. I guess things like this have gone on for years, in one form or the other.”

Presley agreed, “It has, but not to this degree, or this harshly. The zero-tolerance policy is forcing people to do things in a way they probably wouldn’t have before. I have faith in our government, however. I’m sure we’ll get this straightened out quickly and come up with a better way of protecting our borders.”

“Right.” Benjen added his hope. “We need to focus on the welfare of people, on both sides of the border, absent of politics.”

As they continued on, Apple saw one other disturbing sight – a tiny toddler was crying uncontrollably and pounding her little fists on the mat she sat upon. Several staff members were trying to calm the child, who appeared to be about two. “Look at her, Presley,” she muttered sadly.

“Yes, she was taken from her mother last night. They haven’t been able to do much with her since. She’s inconsolable.”

This broke Apple’s heart. “I want to hold her! How can they stand by and not pick her up?”

“They aren’t allowed to touch the children in most cases. It’s a rule to protect the children, but doesn’t seem to be the best choice in every case, does it?”

“No. I think that little girl should certainly be an exception.” Apple leaned on Benjen as they made their way to the front door. “This is so hard.” Now, she was even more worried about Juanita than before.

“Look, try to stay positive. I’m going to be on top of this. You can talk to Zane anytime, Benjen, but I will contact him immediately and get him to call Kyle and Micah. If we all work together, we can find that little girl and find her quickly. I know her life is at stake and we are going to act accordingly.”

After thanking Presley, Benjen and Apple got on the road toward Kingsland.

“I heard what she said and I know we can trust her, but I can’t believe we’re just leaving.” Apple wrung her hands in a fit of worry. “I should’ve walked around and looked at every child to make sure Juanita wasn’t there.”

Benjen did his best to console her. “Presley will make this happen, baby. This is her specialty. We’ll do more good at home, taking care of our animals, and letting you rest. I can promise you that the moment we get any word, any direction, I’ll drop everything and go to help with Juanita. It won’t be long until we find her and we’ll do everything in our power to make sure she’s taken care of. Okay?”

“Okay.” Hearing the confidence and reassurance in Benjen’s voice, Apple let out a long breath, mentally releasing the burden of worry to allow it to rest on the broad shoulders of the man who she trusted more than anyone else in the world.